What does it really take to save lives in a shelter where the need never stops?
For leaders like <a href='https://www.facebook.com/HuntingtonCabellWayneAnimalShelter/'>Courtney Cross (Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Shelter)</a> and <a href='https://www.facebook.com/butlercoshelter/'>Ruby Fooks (Butler County Animal Shelter)</a>, it means getting scrappy — not just in strategy, but in spirit. Across the country, life-saving work is happening in shelters not powered by excess resources, but by relentless grit, creativity, and the strength of community.
In this episode, we’re joined by Cara Achterberg — author, advocate, and founder of the nonprofit Who Will Let the Dogs Out (<a href='https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode75'>Episode 75</a>) — along with two remarkable shelter directors who are redefining what animal sheltering can look like when it’s rooted in community and driven by purpose.
<a href='https://whowillletthedogsout.org/who-will-let-the-dogs-out-stories-and-solutions/'>Cara’s newest book, Who Will Let the Dogs Out</a>, shines a light on shelters making extraordinary impact, often with limited means. She shares three core pillars of life-saving work: strong leadership, community engagement, and spay/neuter programs — all of which Ruby and Courtney embody.
You’ll hear how Ruby scrapped plans for a new shelter building to open a spay/neuter clinic instead — because that’s what her community truly needed. And how Courtney created space for community at a new shelter property while reducing a 50% euthanasia rate to just 3%.
Leaders like Courtney and Ruby aren’t just running shelters — they’re building trust, rewriting systems, and saving lives.
 
Find links and show notes at:
<a href='https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode121'>https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode121</a>
 
Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and <a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-dog/id1485177521'>leave a rating or review</a>.

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How Community-Focused Shelter Leaders Get Scrappy to Save Lives: WWLTDO Shelter Roundtable Part 1

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